


'Cause I Know How To Treat You Better

by DeyaAmaya



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Exy (All For The Game), Fluff and Angst, M/M, Post-Canon, Soft Andrew Minyard, Summer Vacation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-13
Updated: 2019-08-13
Packaged: 2020-08-20 14:17:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20229232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeyaAmaya/pseuds/DeyaAmaya
Summary: They kiss, slow and languid and unhurried. Neil kisses with his whole goddamn body, sliding and pressing and humming into Andrew's mouth. Andrew feels his heart settle for the first time in weeks.'224%, Josten.''You're the best.''The best, what?'Neil laughs, bright and loud. 'The best everything.'





	'Cause I Know How To Treat You Better

**Author's Note:**

  * For [adaintywomanofmystery](https://archiveofourown.org/users/adaintywomanofmystery/gifts).

> This is my exchange piece for reneeisbuffjesus/adaintywomanofmystery. I hope I managed to do a good enough job. I tried to keep your prompts in mind but ended up with Andreil angst/fluff as always *facepalms*.

Neil Josten might be an expert liar, Andrew Minyard thinks, but he certainly can't lie too well with his face. Even behind all the freckles and exy-related bruises and life related scars, his ire is clear. Or maybe it’s only clear to Andrew.

Neil has been stewing in this (anger or sadness or maybe general discontent- Andrew isn’t quite sure) for weeks now. None of the other foxes have pushed after Neil insisted that he was 'FINE', (which he clearly wasn't). Andrew's had enough of the moping.

(Andrew was also worried about the junkie but try telling him that.)

Summar practices are going on and Andrew waits in the locker room for his idiot. Others have left by the time Neil emerges, all dripping hair and sour face, tugging his armbands on. He's surprised to see Andrew, offers a tired smile, but doesn’t make a move to kiss him, or even to touch. Andrew is acutely aware that as the summer progressed, Neil seemed more irritable and the flow of their kisses tapered off to once a day, even less. If there's something wrong with Neil, though, Andrew would worry about getting it sorted before worrying about kisses.

He reaches out carefully, judging Neil's reaction and threading their fingers loosely. Neil sighs and tightens his grip, letting Andrew drag him out. As soon as they got out of the Stadium though, he drops Andrew's hand and all but runs into the Maserati. 

_What's going on, Neil?_

*

'Tell me what's wrong,' Andrew says, calm. 

Neil groans mutinously from the top bunk. Their dorm is quiet, the two of them the only ones present. Perfect timing for an ambush.

'Nothing's wrong. I'm fine,' he says. As if Andrew was born yesterday. As if Andrew doesn’t know his junkie and his lies inside out. 

Andrew barely represses a growl, standing up besides the bunk bed and catching Neil's ankle in a death grip, yanking down. Neil almost slides off and curses colourfully. 

'Get down here and lie to my face,' Andrew still sounds calm. Way too calm. Neil is quiet for a moment before he climbs down and right into Andrew's arms.

There's a rare breeze coming in through the window. Andrew tucks them both into a corner of his bed, Neil snug on his lap and his face hidden on Andrew's neck, before he asks again.

'Tell me what's wrong,' but gentler. Much, much gentler. 'Or,' he continues, 'Tell Bee, tell Abby, tell any of the Foxes. But tell me you’re talking to someone about this.'

'There is no _this_,' the bastard has the nerve to mumble that into Andrew's skin. Andrew bites him for that. 

'Fine,' Neil relents, albeit reluctantly. 'It's stupid. But you’re not allowed to laugh at me. Okay?'

'I promise.'

Neil slumps further into Andrew's embrace. 'It's the heat. Well,... it's the heat, and that I have to wear these goddamn armbands cause my arms are mangled, and that I can't just wear a tank top and shorts like everyone else 'cause my whole body's a mess. And you know what? All these scars, they feel extra awful in the heat and I just-' Neil unsticks himself from Andrew and peels off his armbands. They fall on the floor with a wet splat. He flexes his fingers with a grimace. 

'They pull in weird places, itch all the fucking time and the skin breaks so easily. Even holding a racket pisses me off lately because it hurts so much,' Neil sounds resigned. 'I can't… it’s so…' he fumbles for words. Andrew guides Neil back on his lap, then carefully runs his fingers over Neil's arms. Andrew has scars as well, but they're not as vicious and he's used to them by now.

'First, talk to Allison. She'll know how to take care of your skin. That's more important.' 

'O-kay? And what's second?'

'You'll see.'

*

Things that make Neil happy aren't as easy to find as ice-cream. But Andrew finds them anyway. He knows Neil's unhappiness won't dissipate in a day, so he doesn’t try anything drastic, at first. 

The first day, Andrew manages to send Neil to Allison for advice. He comes back with an armful of toiletries and a bemused expression. He does admit that the lavender bath bomb made his skin feel loads better. Over the next few days, Andrew sneaks a small cooler into the bedroom to chill water bottles, installs a fan to help Neil sleep better, and sets up his bed with cooling sheets. He prompts Nicky to take Neil shopping and find armbands that are made of lighter material. Then he takes Neil for a drive.

Andrew's car has heavy duty air conditioning and Neil stops sweating within a minute, falling asleep within ten. He doesn’t wake up for the three hours that it takes Andrew to reach their destination.

Andrew found this all but deserted gym on craigslist, located so far out of the city that even at peak summer there's little to no traffic on a weekday. The place is shabby and will probably close in the near future, but it has an indoor pool with AC, and that's all Andrew needs right now. 

Neil is disoriented after the nap, and he stares at the water for a long minute like he's still dreaming. 

'No one's coming in, I had a talk with the manager,' Andrew informs him. Neil digests the information and hesitantly strips out of his outer layers, keeping his pants on as he wades into the water with a pleased sigh. Andrew watches him for a minute before joining him in the pool.

He leans against the pool wall and enjoys the cool shock of the water. Neil floats on his back a few feet away, completely blissed out. The expression on his face is quite similar to his post-coital face, Andrew notes with interest.

Eventually, Neil notices him and floats closer, asking and then wrapping all his long limbs around Andrew. He's so much lighter in the water, in Andrew's arms, his skin the only source of warmth.

'You got me a swimming pool. Thank you,' Neil whispers like he still can't believe this. He's got that smoky look in his eyes that never fails to make Andrew lose a heartbeat.

They kiss, slow and languid and unhurried. Neil kisses with his whole goddamn body, sliding and pressing and humming into Andrew's mouth. Andrew feels his heart settle for the first time in weeks.

'224%, Josten.' 

'You're the best.'

'The best, what?'

Neil laughs, bright and loud. 'The best everything.' 

*fin*

**Author's Note:**

> Come yell me on tumblr! I'm andreil-minyasten.


End file.
